By Eve Herold – Healthspan Action Coalition
Increasing the healthspan, while science-driven, requires a whole-society effort. The many actors in the movement—science, biotech, government, patients, nonprofits and the entire healthcare delivery system, make up a vital coalition of players, all of whom are indispensable in moving the field forward. But ultimately, progress lives and dies based on the support of the larger public, considering that most research is funded by tax dollars. And in the largest sense, the public’s participation is needed down to the level of individuals embracing new therapies and lifestyle changes for themselves and their families.
Public attitudes regarding science and scientists are a crucial part of the mix. Disappointingly, Americans’ views of both have been in decline for several years, and continue to decline post-Covid, according to a new Pew poll. Declining views of science, scientists and research institutions are consistent with the overall erosion of trust in experts and institutions of all stripes, which have been a major feature of American culture in recent years.
The Healthspan Action Coalition sees this as a public education challenge. We seek to communicate, early and often, the exciting developments in longevity and healthspan science. Healthspan may not be a part of current school curriculums, and new science can take years to weave its way into mainstream consciousness, while patients and ordinary people are often unaware of the promise of today’s revolutionary science. It’s our job to fill the gap.
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